Men should sleep naked to improve sperm quality, say physicians
Medical experts have said that sleeping naked could increase sperm production in men by enabling the testicles to have a chance to cool off.
They recommend that men who wish to become fathers should sleep without clothing at night to enhance their chances of conception.
The physicians pointed out that this practice could improve male fertility, as cooling the scrotum at night had been shown to improve sperm quality.
The experts suggested wearing roomy boxers during the day to keep the scrotum cool and enhance reproductive success while advocating for sleeping naked at night.
According to the US National Library of Medicine’s Biotech Information, cooling the scrotum directly impacts sperm health and motility.
Additionally, the US medical journal confirms that sleeping naked helps maintain an optimal temperature for testicular health and sperm quality.
Speaking exclusively with PUNCH Healthwise in different interviews, the experts noted that tight underwear could cause heat, stressing that cooler temperatures support optimal testicular function, which could be achieved by sleeping naked.
A Professor of Medicine and Endocrinology at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Olufemi Fasanmade, disclosed that sleeping naked positively impacts male fertility.
Fasanmade explained that cool weather and loose underwear help maintain optimal sperm production, and sleeping naked effectively cools the scrotum.
He noted that tight-fitting pants and hot weather could reduce sperm production, whereas loose garments or sleeping naked promote better sperm formation.
Fasanmade advised men looking to improve their fertility and sperm motility to keep their scrotum and testes cool by avoiding tight pants or boxers while sleeping.
Dr. Chidumeje Okafor
Corroborating his statement, a Family Physician at the Anambra State Ministry of Health, Dr. Chidumeje Okafor, highlighted several benefits of sleeping naked.
He categorised these benefits into four sectors for clarity: sleep, psychological, health, and obstetric and gynecological advantages.
Okafor stated, “Sleeping naked can boost male libido and improve fertility.”
He also noted that men who sleep naked had 25 percent less DNA fragmentation in their sperm.
Regarding women’s health, Okafor noted that sleeping naked can help protect against yeast infections such as candidiasis.
He acknowledged that while vaginal yeast infections are common and may not be entirely avoidable, their prevention is possible.
Okafor advised that avoiding tight pants and underwear, which can increase moisture in the genital area, is beneficial.
Sleeping naked or at least without underwear can help keep the vulva and vagina cool and dry, thereby reducing the risk of infection, he said.
The family physician noted that tight-fitting or sweaty underwear can increase the risk of vaginal yeast infections, especially if worn throughout the day and night.
“Sleeping naked is an effective way to air out the vagina and maintain its health, helping to prevent yeast infections that are more likely to develop in warm, moist environments,” he added.
More so, a study conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Maryland and Stanford University which monitored underwear choices of 500 men over 12 months to ascertain their sperm quality, also gave credence to the benefits of men sleeping naked.
It found that men who wore boxers during the day and were naked at night had 25 per cent less Deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation in their sperm compared with men who wore tight briefs day and night.
According to ScienceDirect, a medical journal, DNA fragmentation refers to the process where DNA breaks down into smaller fragments, which can be detected in specific regions of the brain.
This fragmentation, it noted, is associated with the presence of free radicals and is believed to contribute to the development of conditions like epilepsy.
The journal also notes that elevated DNA fragmentation rates are more common in infertile men compared to fertile donors and can negatively impact reproductive outcomes.
These undesired effects, the journal noted, include impairment of natural conception, intrauterine insemination, and In-Vitro fertilisation with Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, a technique used during IVF.
The researchers noted among men in the general population attempting to conceive, the type of underwear worn during the day and at night is associated with semen quality.
